It's become so trendy to rip on the Big Ten it's almost gone out of style. However, the football conference will always have something no other conference has -- the best rivalry trophies. Some are big. Some are tall. A few are quite strange. Yet the fans treat these trophies with a cult-like reverence some college football fans will never quite understand.

Here's a look at the Big Ten's 10 best rivalry trophies.

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1. Paul Bunyan's Axe (Wisconsin-Minnesota)

It's a six-foot axe introduced to the rivalry in 1948. The scores of each game is etched into the handle. The original axe was retired in 2003. Players on the teams are allowed to run to the opposing sideline to "steal" the axe after a victory. Wisconsin has won the last nine meetings.

(Andy Manis/AP)

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2. Little Brown Jug (Michigan-Minnesota)

The Little Brown Jug game, which began in 1909, is the longest running trophy game in college football, grew out of a dispute between Michigan coach Fielding Yost and Minnesota athletic director L.J. Cooke over a 30-cent jug. The winner marks the score on the five-gallon trophy after each year. Michigan has won the last five meetings.

(Tom Olmscheid/AP)

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3. Floyd of Rosedale (Iowa-Minnesota)

The governors of Minnesota and Iowa wagered the state's prized hog before the 1935 matchup, which Minnesota won 13-6. Floyd, the prize-winning hog from Rosedale Farms in Iowa, was delivered in person. After Floyd's death, his likeness was captured on the trophy. Iowa has won the last two meetings.

(Ann Heisenfelt/AP)

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4. Illibuck (Illinois-Ohio State)

Nothing says Illini and Buckeye football quite like a turtle. In 1925, the two schools' honor societies decided to award the winning team a live turtle. The original turtle died in 1927, but 10 replica trophies have been carved since, with the score of each game carved on the back. Ohio State has won the last five meetings.

(Photo courtesy of the University of Illinois)

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5. Paul Bunyan Trophy (Michigan-Michigan State)

This trophy deserves its own Dr Pepper Ten ad. It features a four-foot wooden statue of Paul Bunyan straddling an axe on a map of the state of Michigan. It returned to Michigan in 2012 after spending the previous four years at Michigan State.

(Tony Ding/AP)

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6. Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana-Purdue)

Indiana is a basketball-first state, but at least the football rivalry features a cool trophy. The winner gets to add a link to a chain with either an "I" or "P" and the score of that year's game to the bucket. Purdue has won the last two meetings.

(Darron Cummings/AP)

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7. Old Brass Spittoon (Indiana-Michigan State)

Michigan State coach Biggie Munn needed to motivate his team after a 5-1 start in 1950, and he had his secretary buy the spittoon from a local antiques store as a trophy for the winner of the upcoming game against Indiana. The Hoosiers accepted the challenge. The Spartans have won the last four meetings.

(Al Goldis/AP)

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8. Land of Lincoln Trophy (Illinois-Northwestern)

Illinois and Northwestern played for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk until 2008, when it was replaced by the more politically-correct Land of Lincoln Trophy, which features a bronze stovepipe hat made famous by Abraham Lincoln. Northwestern holds the trophy after beating Illinois last season.

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9. Land Grant Trophy (Michigan State-Penn State)

Michigan State and Penn State are the nation's two oldest land-grant universities, and this giant trophy was introduced in 1993. Michigan State won the schools' last meeting in 2010.

(Photo courtesy Michigan State University)

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10. Heartland Trophy (Iowa-Wisconsin)

The Badgers and Hawkeyes have played since 1894, but the Heartland Trophy -- a large brass bull -- was introduced in 2004. Iowa leads the series 4-3 since -- but Wisconsin won the trophy back in 2010.